A variety of tilt back mechanisms have been developed for use with chairs. More particularly, mechanisms are known which are interconnected between the seat of a chair and its supporting base, to permit the user to lean and tilt back the seat relative to the ground. The mechanisms are further designed such that the amount of force necessary to tilt the chair rearwardly increases as the angle increases. By this arrangement, the chair is prevented from tipping over backwards when a user leans back too quickly or with too much force. As can be appreciated, due to the forces involved, these mechanisms must be sturdily constructed and reliable. Further, it is preferable that the mechanism be compact and have a low profile such that it does not interfere with the construction of the chair or detract from its aesthetic appearance.